Votto beginning baseball activity in recovery

CINCINNATI -- Joey Votto was departing from his locker on Tuesday with a bat in one hand and a ball and glove under his arm.

It was a pretty safe sign that baseball-related activity has commenced for the injured Reds first baseman.

"I'm taking some dry swings and throwing," said Votto, who has been limited to 62 games this season because of a distal strain of his left quadriceps. He went on the disabled list for a second time on July 8.

Dry swings are simply swinging the bat without trying to hit a ball. Votto said he has been taking the bat around with him wherever he goes. He might take a swing here and there during breaks in the weight room or rehab.

"You can't go from zero to 100 at once," Votto said.

Votto can be activated from the 60-day DL as soon as Sept. 4, but there is no timetable for his return.

Winker, Howard among Reds to play in AFL

CINCINNATI -- The Arizona Fall League announced its roster of players on Tuesday, and it included six Reds prospects who will play for the Surprise Saguaros. That club will be managed by Double-A Pensacola skipper Delino DeShields from the Reds' system.

Outfielder Jesse Winker, who is listed by MLB.com as the Reds organization's No. 2 prospect, will be on the roster when the AFL begins play Oct. 7. Winker participated in the MLB All-Star Futures Game in Minneapolis but has missed most of the second half of the season with a right wrist injury.

The organization's No. 5 prospect, Class A Dayton starting pitcher and 2014 first-round Draft pick Nick Howard, will also be participating. Howard has a 4.56 ERA in nine games, including three starts, for Dayton.

Also playing for Surprise are four more players from Pensacola -- third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean, second baseman Ryan Wright, right fielder Kyle Waldrop and right-handed pitcher Ben Klimesh.

Bailey, Reds awaiting results of injury evaluation

CINCINNATI -- Injured Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey, who has been out since Aug. 8 because of a small tear in his right flexor mass tendon near his forearm, has yet to resume throwing. Bailey was recently re-evaluated, and he and the club are still awaiting the results.

"I wish I could tell you more. Hurry up and wait," Bailey said on Tuesday.

Bailey and the Reds hope he can resume pitching this season, but the right-hander did not know when he might be allowed to begin a throwing program.

"I have no idea. I try to stay day by day," Bailey said. "Whatever they tell me to do that day, I do it that day. When they say to try throwing, that's when I'll try throwing."

Bailey, who has been limited to a strength and rehabilitation program, hasn't been entirely pain free.

"Little things kind of spark it every now and then, like grip stuff," he said. "My mind says I can still throw. But I had a feeling if I tried that, it would prove to be quite wrong."

Reds to call up Axelrod for Thursday start

CINCINNATI -- Right-handed pitcher Dylan Axelrod will be recalled from Triple-A Louisville to start on Thursday vs. the Cubs, the Reds announced on Tuesday.

Axelrod was called up Aug. 16 to replace injured Homer Bailey in the rotation, but his start at Colorado was postponed because of a water main break near Coors Field. After he pitched Game 2 of a doubleheader the following day -- a 10-5 Reds loss to the Rockies, during which he gave up two runs and seven hits over six innings for a no-decision -- he was sent back down, because the club needed another starter on Thursday vs. the Braves.

"I intend to get a good look at Dylan and give him every opportunity to pitch down the stretch for us and show his value to the organization," Reds manager Bryan Price said.

Axelrod last pitched on Friday for Louisville vs. Columbus, giving up two runs on four hits over seven innings.

Cingrani unlikely to return to Reds this season

CINCINNATI -- Starting pitcher Tony Cingrani, who has been on Triple-A Louisville's disabled list since June 26 with a left shoulder strain, has yet to resume a throwing program and isn't being counted on to help the Reds again this season.

"At this point in time, I'm not anticipating him being back, simply because I don't think he would have enough time to get back and be able to help us in September," Reds manager Bryan Price said.

Cingrani, who recently tried to throw but was shut down after he still felt an impingement, had a platelet-rich plasma injection to try and speed his healing. That meant he could not throw for at least a week afterward. There is a possibility he will undergo a second injection, which would mean another week of inactivity.

Louisville's season ends on Sept. 1, leaving Cingrani no place to get into games before any potential callup.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Mark My Word, and follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.